DLA Piper advises Heidelberg Materials on the sale of a majority stake in its DRC cement production

DLA Piper has advised Heidelberg Materials AG on the sale of a 91% majority stake in Cimenterie de Lukala SA (CILU), held by its Scandinavian subsidiaries, to West China Cement. The transaction was signed back in January 2025 and has now successfully closed. West China Cement is also taking over shares in CILU previously held by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Heidelberg Materials is one of the world’s largest building materials companies, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. The group operates in more than 50 countries and offers a broad range of products including cement, concrete, and aggregates.

CILU is a company incorporated and operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), primarily engaged in the operation of an integrated cement plant in Lukala, DRC and the manufacture and distribution of cement, cement clinker and limestone powder. With over 100 years of experience and strong brand recognition, CILU is one of the top players in the cement market in Central Africa.

West China Cement group is one of the leading cement producers in Shaanxi Province, with a leading market position in eastern and southern China, as well as Mozambique, DRC and Ethiopia, Africa. Its shares are listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. West China Cement has been advised by Slaughter & May during the acquisition of CILU.

The transaction forms part of Heidelberg Materials’ strategic focus on optimizing its portfolio and concentrating on core markets.

The cross-border team from our offices in Germany, Belgium, and Hong Kong was led by partner Dr Christoph Dachner (Munich) and client relationship partner Dr Benjamin Parameswaran (Hamburg, both Corporate), supported by partner Semin O (Frankfurt) and counsel Dr Enno Ahlenstiel (Cologne, both Lit&Reg) as well as senior associate Tommy Lam (Hong Kong, Corporate) in the core team.

In addition, our partner firm KMK Africa supported the transaction with partners Yves Brosens and Pierre Vanholsbeke acting as local counsel in DRC.

The DLA Piper team closely worked together with Dr Inken Linder, Global Lead Counsel Legal M&A of Heidelberg Materials.